


Two five eight

by ancalime8301



Series: Spencer Stories [32]
Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Cats, Community: watsons_woes, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 09:39:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4516986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ancalime8301/pseuds/ancalime8301
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes you need a celebration, and a cat's birthday can fit the bill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two five eight

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/)**watsons_woes** July Writing Amnesty Prompt #4: _Another Year Older and Surrounded By Idiots: Benedict Cumberbatch is not the only July birthday among Holmes actors – Robert Stephens (Private Life of Sherlock Holmes), Vasily Livanov (Russian Sherlock Holmes films), and William Gillette (the first stage Sherlock Holmes) share the month with him. Incorporate a birthday observance in some way._

_Two_  
The summer following Spencer's arrival was long and hot and virtually devoid of any cases of interest. Holmes turned to his syringe for amusement; I spent my time reading or seeking relief in the shade at the park which, while still warm, was less stifling than our rooms.

One afternoon Spencer joined me in the park. As we sat contentedly, I had an idea. I promptly carried him back home and told Mrs Hudson that we ought to give Spencer a birthday party. She rather liked the idea, so we set the date for two days hence. While she decided on the menu for dinner (with Spencer's assistance), I went upstairs to officially invite Holmes.

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Cats don't have birthdays."

"There is a day on which he was born. Therefore, he has a birthday. Since we don't know the actual date, and since we could all use a distraction from the heat, the day we chose will suffice."

Holmes only sighed. However, he did deign to join us at the table for dinner two days later rather than remaining upon the settee as had been his wont.

The dinner was delightful, though the guest of honor was tardy. When he finally came home, Spencer seemed to enjoy the attention, so I thought it a successful birthday.

 _Five_  
The weeks and months following Reichenbach were difficult as I tried to adjust to Holmes' conspicuous absence. Spencer did not understand why Holmes did not return; he periodically sat outside Holmes' closed bedroom door and yowled a pathetically lost-sounding meow as if Holmes would appear if only he called loudly enough.

Spencer also preferred to remain within sight of me, to the point of following me from room to room, as if he feared I, too, would leave and not return. Such devotion was both touching and unsettling, for what would he do if I met with some misadventure?

This time it was Mrs. Hudson who suggested celebrating Spencer's birthday, but I hesitated. "We've not marked his birthday in years, and it would do us good to celebrate something," she said gently, and I relented.

This time Spencer was right on time for dinner in the kitchen, where he joined us at the table, and this time there were impromptu gifts. Mrs. Hudson proffered a bootlace that had begun to fray, while I crumpled up a few sheets of a story draft for him to chase. His enthusiasm led to shredding the paper, leaving confetti-sized fragments all about the kitchen. I hadn't laughed so hard in months.

Despite the mess, when Spencer and I went upstairs Mrs. Hudson was positively beaming.

 _Eight_  
I must admit that what they say about doctors being the worst patients is absolutely true. In my defense, my patience with being an invalid had been exhausted by the month I spent in hospital, so the fact I still could not do much with my hands when I went home was quite frustrating.

Even in my self-pitying frame of mind that first week I noticed that Holmes and Mrs Hudson were up to something, for there was a great deal of whispering whenever Mrs Hudson came up to our sitting room.

When I returned home from a morning appointment with good news, I was surprised by the door opening before I reached for it.

"Watson! Right this way." Holmes escorted me up the stairs and into the decorated sitting room. "I thought a birthday party might cheer you up since I fear I have missed a few, and now we will also be celebrating the absence of your bandages."

Holmes helped Mrs Hudson bring up a truly delightful luncheon, along with a small cake. The moment I enjoyed the most, though, was when Holmes revealed what he had concocted for Spencer's repast: meat and gravy formed roughly into a cake-like shape, and generously sprinkled with catnip.

I was touched by his thoughtfulness; for Spencer, I think, it was utter bliss.

**Author's Note:**

> Historical note:  
>  _Two_ occurs sometime in July 1888; assumes Spencer was about a year old when he became part of the family.  
>  _Five_ occurs in July 1891.  
>  _Eight_ occurs in July 1894, following Watson's encounter with Henry (the [Retribution series](http://archiveofourown.org/series/124029)).


End file.
